Welcome,
Tier 1.
My name is Elena,
And I will be leading this guided meditation on self-compassion for self-hate and depression.
So I invite you to begin by finding a comfortable position.
And you can allow your eyes to close.
Or simply look down towards the ground if that feels safer for you.
Taking a slow,
Gentle breath in.
And a long breath out.
And again,
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
Seeing if you can slow the breath down.
Especially the exhale.
Allowing yourself to be held.
By the safety of your breath.
Perhaps even bringing a hand to your heart.
As a way to add in some soothing touch.
And warmth.
And now notice the support beneath you.
The chair,
The floor,
Or the bed,
Whatever is holding you.
And for these next few moments,
There is nowhere you need to go and nothing you need to do or fix.
Rather.
Just gently notice whatever is here in this present moment.
Perhaps there is a harsh voice inside.
An inner critic.
One that says,
You are not enough.
Or that you have failed.
Or that there is something wrong with you.
And rather than arguing with that voice,
Fully believing it or trying to make it disappear.
Simply acknowledge it.
You might silently say,
A part of me is hurting.
Or a part of me believes I'm unworthy.
Or a part of me is telling me how bad it thinks I am.
And so see if you can recognize that this harsh voice,
This inner critic is trying.
In its own misguided way.
To protect you.
From rejection.
Disappointment.
Or pain.
And allow yourself to continue breathing in.
And out.
Knowing that your breath.
Is always here as an anchor.
And now imagine that the part of you who carries this self-hatred is not your enemy.
But a deeply wounded part of you.
Perhaps it has been carrying impossible burdens for a very long time.
And so imagine sitting beside this hurting part.
Just as you might sit beside a frightened child.
An injured pet.
Or a close friend in pain.
And you don't have to fix anything.
You don't have to convince this self-hating part that everything is okay.
Simply let this part know that it is not alone.
That we all suffer at times.
And you might gently offer these words.
I see how much you're hurting.
I know that you've been carrying this pain for a long time You don't have to carry it alone anymore.
And notice what happens in your body as you offer yourself these words.
Even if nothing changes,
That's okay.
Simply allowing yourself to stay present is an act of courage.
In the beginning steps.
Towards healing.
So let's take one more slow breath together in and out.
And out.
And as you continue breathing,
Imagine making just a tiny bit more room inside your heart for all that you are.
The parts that feel broken.
Ashamed.
Or full of hate.
And the part of you that is here right now.
Willing to practice compassion.
You don't have to fully love yourself in this moment.
You only have to be willing to stay with yourself.
And perhaps for today.
That is enough.
And so I encourage you to come back tomorrow and each day.
As that's how we build new neurological pathways in the brain.
New ways of responding to our own distress that is more compassionate.
Kind.
And tender.
And so when you're ready.
.
.
Gently wiggle your fingers and toes.
And as you're ready,
You can slowly open your eyes.
Carrying this small act of kindness with you.
Into the rest of your day.
Thank you.
